[Editor’s Note: Be sure to check out Jackson’s February interview with director Fernando Trueba.] Chico & Rita hit theaters in February of this year after receiving a surprise Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature and near universal raves from critics. The visually-stunning film packed audiences into arthouses, and led to the release of a graphic (read…)

[Editor’s Note: I wasn’t crazy about Lola Versus when it played in theaters, but suspected it wasn’t quite deserving of the trashing I felt like giving it so I never reviewed it. I’m curious to revisit it now on home video with a different set of expectations. Be sure to check out Jackson’s interviews with (read…)

Although Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs is a bona-fide comedy classic, upon its release in 1987, it was seen as a far cry from the films of the heyday of the Oscar-winning writer/director whose earlier classics include The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Although cineastes, including those polled for the famous American Film Institute “100 Years…100 (read…)

Forever Marilyn releases today, collecting seven of her best films and performances on Blu-ray, five of which are appearing in the format for the first time. These classic films have never looked or sounded better, and this collection is a great opportunity to revisit some acclaimed films and lesser-known gems from legendary directors, as well as (read…)

When The Three Stooges opened in theaters this April, the film divided critics down the middle, earning a 50% at Rotten Tomatoes. Although the film did below average box office for a movie directed by the Farrelly Brothers (Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary), its $43 million domestic take was enough for it to (read…)

Even in a truncated form, Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret was one of the best movies of 2011. On the occasion of the DVD release of the longer director’s cut, be sure to check out the interview I did with the film’s star Anna Paquin for Awards Daily. Then by all means check out the DVD. (read…)

When American Pie opened in July of 1999, the film grossed over $235 million worldwide, became a cultural phenomenon, and launched a four movie theatrical franchise that consistently proved to be as heartfelt as it was raunchy. In American Reunion, the whole cast of the first two American Pie movies reunites, and gives longtime fans (read…)

When Mirror Mirror opened in theaters less than three months ago, it split critics down the middle, earning 50% on rottentomatoes.com. The film also fizzled at the Box-Office, earning only $64 million domestically as it was one of a number of spring releases that were not able to emerge out from under the shadow of (read…)

When Machine Gun Preacher opened in limited release last September, it was almost completely avoided by filmgoers ($500,000 domestic box office) and it was widely panned by critics as well, earning only a 29% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This hardly proved surprising as director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, The Kit Runner) has spent much (read…)

After making its global premiere at the Venice Film Festival and winning the festival’s Best Actor award for Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Shame was picked up by Fox Searchlight and tapped for an almost immediate awards season release. Shame went on to become a critical darling of sorts, with Fassbender, director Steve McQueen (Hunger), and (read…)

Upon hitting theaters last December, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy earned rave reviews and numerous accolades, including three Oscar nominations (Gary Oldman for Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score). Although the film did strong box office domestically and abroad, it left many filmgoers leaving the theater wishing they had some sort of study (read…)

When The Sitter opened in theaters last December, the film was presented to audiences as Adventures in Babysitting remade for fans of The Hangover. The film failed to connect with critics, and its box office reception was middling at best. The film was another odd entry in the ever-more puzzling career of David Gordon Green (read…)

Though In Time split mainstream audiences and repelled critics upon its release last fall, it echoes Logan’s Run and Blade Runner and it works as a modern-day allegory of America’s political discourse. It’s an intelligently written and directed sci-fi that should prove a delight for fans of the genre. In Time hits shelves on Blu-Ray (read…)

The Big Year hits shelves on Blu-Ray and DVD today. Check out my in-depth interview with director David Frankel here, on crafting one of last year’s underappreciated gems. Here’s a look at the Blu-Ray release, where I’ll once again help you answer the question of whether or not you should make sure to take the (read…)

[Editor’s Note: This is the first in what will hopefully be a weekly feature wherein LiC contributor Jackson Truax gives you the scoop on some mainstream DVD releases. Stay tuned also as I revive yet again the Recommended DVDs page. Long story short, but I discontinued it after Amazon booted all of its California-based affiliates (read…)

1 minute and 42 seconds of Blue Velvet you haven’t seen before, unless of course you saw it yesterday when it first started turning up online. This is from MGM’s new blu-ray which includes 50 minutes of material (until recently believed lost forever) that had been edited out as Lynch trimmed the film from 4 (read…)

Here are the notable new releases coming Tuesday, July 19. Be sure to check out the LiC DVD Shelf for a growing list of my favorite films from 2009 to the present. Potiche (**** 1/2). Catherine Deneuve sparkles in this light comedy based on the original 1970s hit play. She plays a potiche, a trophy (read…)

Here are the notable new release DVDs coming Tuesday, July 12. Note that these listings are always based on when a DVD is for sale. Since Netflix has agreements with several studios to delay availability of new release DVDs, the rent links may be jumping the gun in some cases. I’ve tried to note those (read…)

Next week’s DVD picks run the gamut from the sublime to the worthless. You can decide for yourself which is which. Please note that a new California law forcing Amazon to charge California residents California state sales tax has led Amazon to terminate their contracts with Amazon Associates who are based in California. Apparently if (read…)

Today’s new release DVDs consist of an unwieldy and imperfect literary adaptation that I liked anyway and some sci-fi/action junk food with plenty of problems but an admirable enthusiasm for spectacle. Be sure to check out the LiC DVD shelf for a list of 115 DVD recommendations going back to 2009. Barney’s Version (****). This (read…)

The highlight of today’s new release DVDs is a surprisingly good comedy that came out in February and was widely ignored by audiences. Cedar Rapids suffers by not being easily categorized. It sounds like it’s going to be another debauched boy comedy, but it’s not really that at all. It’s better. If Cedar Rapids still (read…)

The DVD Pipeline has been AWOL the last couple of Thursdays, though it was a lack of anything to shout about rather than slackitude on the part of yours truly. There were a bevy of exciting Blu-ray releases – not the least of which was last Tuesday’s bombshell combo of Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita and Barry (read…)

There’s some good stuff coming to DVD on Tuesday, May 10th including an LiC Top 10 of 2010 selection, a terrific thriller from Korea, one of 2010’s greatest disappointments and a nice little under-the-radar surprise. Of the two best films, Blue Valentine went on to gross nearly $10 million which is fantastic for an intimate (read…)

Slim DVD pickings this coming Tuesday (5/3/11), but there’s one title I’ve been anxious to catch up with myself and of course there’s always the LiC DVD Shelf with a panoply of DVDs to enjoy: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. This all-singing, all-dancing black and white indie musical combines the MGM tradition (read…)

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a round up of new titles to stream on Netflix, but here’s the cream of the most recent crop of newly streaming titles which have played in theaters in the last year or so. Marwencol (**** 1/2) Marwencol is a difficult documentary to adequately summarize in a small blurb. (read…)

There’s absolutely nothing worth talking about from recent cinema coming to DVD next Tuesday, but there’s a little bit of noteworthy Criterion action coming Tuesday, April 26 to keep the home video fires burning. Don’t forget the LiC DVD Shelf with over 100 DVDs judged worth your time by a crack team of movie fans (read…)

Settling back into its regular Thursday slot, here’s the DVD Pipeline with the cream of the new DVD crop coming Tuesday 4/19. On tap this week are a couple of under-appreciated gems (The Way Back, Somewhere), a movie people were afraid to see because it sounded too depressing (Rabbit Hole, they were wrong) and the (read…)

Yes I know, the weekly DVD column has been AWOL since January, but it’s not like anyone has been crying about it. Anyway, it’s back and it’s jam packed with some good stuff. If there isn’t something you weren’t aware of or hadn’t forgotten about, I’ll gladly refund your LiC subscription price. Either way, take (read…)

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve rolled this column out, but there hasn’t been a ton to get worked up over until today. There are 7 (including a couple from previous weeks) buzz-worthy films from 2010 on the list, 6 of which I’ve seen myself. Dogtooth (*** 1/2). Chalk it up to months (read…)

These are the notable DVDs coming Tuesday, January 11. Also be sure to check out LiC’s DVD Shelf for a long list of recommended DVDs for rent or purchase. The Social Network (****). Behold: The critical darling of 2010. Revolving around the co-creation of Facebook by brilliant-but-arrogant social misfit Mark Zuckerberg, David Fincher’s The Social (read…)